Winona Council President Files Complaint With State Against Clerk-Treasurer
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The complaint was filed by Sue Gooding, Winona Lake Town Council president.
In the written complaint, Gooding alleges Hicks has not provided documentation to her regarding donors’ names who have made financial contributions to the town. Gooding said she has repeatedly requested the names from Hicks.
Hicks has served as Winona Lake’s clerk-treasurer for the past 18 years, and was appointed in 1993. Hicks has been absent during the last two council meetings.
During a telephone interview Thursday, Joe Hoage, Indiana Public Access counselor, confirmed his office emailed the complaint to Hicks Tuesday.
Hoage said he will take the next 30 days to issue an advisory opinion of Gooding’s complaint by Aug. 24.
The opinion results will be published on the www.in.gov website, and Hoage will provide information to Gooding and Hicks on his response after his Aug. 24 deadline.
During a telephone interview Thursday, Hicks confirmed she had received the complaint from the public access counselor. She said she will submit a response to the counselor before her Aug. 17 deadline.
Hicks was attending an Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Leadership Conference Thursday and was out of town, but will return today.
“I will handle this in the best professional and respectful way I can,” Hicks said.
Hicks said she has provided the council with written receipts for donations numbered with dates, but said she agreed not all of the information she submitted to the council has donors’ names.
She said she officiates wedding ceremonies in the town, and sometimes those getting married want to make donations to the town. She said those names are not recorded as she does not have the donation form at the time.
Within the complaint submitted to the public access office, Gooding wrote, “As town council president, I have repeatedly asked for an accounting of our donation fund including a list of donors names.
“The clerk-treasurer has stated it isn’t any of my business and that she doesn’t know who made these donations. I believe the clerk-treasurer does have knowledge of the identities of these donors and I would like to have names, dates and dollar amounts for the past five years.”
During an interview Thursday at the Times-Union, Gooding said she decided to file the complaint because she has been frustrated.
Gooding said she has asked Hicks for an accounting of the donation fund for the past couple of months at open meetings and privately, and made a number of requests to Hicks and they have not been met.
“I respect her desire to protect anonymous donors and their privacy, but it is my feeling the information should be shared with the town council,” Gooding said.
Gooding said it is never her intention to out the donors, but she would simply like to know who in the town has been generous with donations.
Gooding said Hicks has been reluctant to provide her with the identity of the donors, so she filed a complaint with the public access counselor.
Gooding said there have been donors who have provided the town with significant financial donations, and are listed as anonymous.
“I specifically want to know who these people are and how much they gave and when they gave it,” Gooding said.
Gooding said she is wanting to have a complete tornado siren program for the town. The current tornado siren is 60 years old, and works at a 50 percent level.
“As we are going into this budget time I am looking for other avenues to make this work as a need for our town,” Gooding said.
She said she is aware the town has $50,000 in the donation fund, but she wants to know who the people are who have donated and if they would be interested in assisting the town with its goal of purchasing additional tornado sirens.
Gooding said Hicks has given her a printed list of transaction history from the donation account that indicated to Gooding that there have been significant donations to the town and specific donation amounts.
Gooding said that indicates to her that there has been conversation between Hicks and the donors for specific donation amounts.
“It is expected that the people who represent the residents are entrusted with using the donation money in the proper way,” Gooding said. “If we have not been informed who the donors are and the amounts, it’s very difficult for us to be part of the conversation on how that money is to be spent.”[[In-content Ad]]
The complaint was filed by Sue Gooding, Winona Lake Town Council president.
In the written complaint, Gooding alleges Hicks has not provided documentation to her regarding donors’ names who have made financial contributions to the town. Gooding said she has repeatedly requested the names from Hicks.
Hicks has served as Winona Lake’s clerk-treasurer for the past 18 years, and was appointed in 1993. Hicks has been absent during the last two council meetings.
During a telephone interview Thursday, Joe Hoage, Indiana Public Access counselor, confirmed his office emailed the complaint to Hicks Tuesday.
Hoage said he will take the next 30 days to issue an advisory opinion of Gooding’s complaint by Aug. 24.
The opinion results will be published on the www.in.gov website, and Hoage will provide information to Gooding and Hicks on his response after his Aug. 24 deadline.
During a telephone interview Thursday, Hicks confirmed she had received the complaint from the public access counselor. She said she will submit a response to the counselor before her Aug. 17 deadline.
Hicks was attending an Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Leadership Conference Thursday and was out of town, but will return today.
“I will handle this in the best professional and respectful way I can,” Hicks said.
Hicks said she has provided the council with written receipts for donations numbered with dates, but said she agreed not all of the information she submitted to the council has donors’ names.
She said she officiates wedding ceremonies in the town, and sometimes those getting married want to make donations to the town. She said those names are not recorded as she does not have the donation form at the time.
Within the complaint submitted to the public access office, Gooding wrote, “As town council president, I have repeatedly asked for an accounting of our donation fund including a list of donors names.
“The clerk-treasurer has stated it isn’t any of my business and that she doesn’t know who made these donations. I believe the clerk-treasurer does have knowledge of the identities of these donors and I would like to have names, dates and dollar amounts for the past five years.”
During an interview Thursday at the Times-Union, Gooding said she decided to file the complaint because she has been frustrated.
Gooding said she has asked Hicks for an accounting of the donation fund for the past couple of months at open meetings and privately, and made a number of requests to Hicks and they have not been met.
“I respect her desire to protect anonymous donors and their privacy, but it is my feeling the information should be shared with the town council,” Gooding said.
Gooding said it is never her intention to out the donors, but she would simply like to know who in the town has been generous with donations.
Gooding said Hicks has been reluctant to provide her with the identity of the donors, so she filed a complaint with the public access counselor.
Gooding said there have been donors who have provided the town with significant financial donations, and are listed as anonymous.
“I specifically want to know who these people are and how much they gave and when they gave it,” Gooding said.
Gooding said she is wanting to have a complete tornado siren program for the town. The current tornado siren is 60 years old, and works at a 50 percent level.
“As we are going into this budget time I am looking for other avenues to make this work as a need for our town,” Gooding said.
She said she is aware the town has $50,000 in the donation fund, but she wants to know who the people are who have donated and if they would be interested in assisting the town with its goal of purchasing additional tornado sirens.
Gooding said Hicks has given her a printed list of transaction history from the donation account that indicated to Gooding that there have been significant donations to the town and specific donation amounts.
Gooding said that indicates to her that there has been conversation between Hicks and the donors for specific donation amounts.
“It is expected that the people who represent the residents are entrusted with using the donation money in the proper way,” Gooding said. “If we have not been informed who the donors are and the amounts, it’s very difficult for us to be part of the conversation on how that money is to be spent.”[[In-content Ad]]
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